Collapsible wheelbarrow



June 17, 1947. c, H, BATES 2,422,331

COLLAPSIBLE WHEELBARROW Filed March 25, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Char/es19. 50/25 INVENTOR. I

C. H.- BATES COLLAPS IBLE WHEELBARROW June 17, 1947.

Filed March 25, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet; 2

INVENTOR.

Char/es H. Bqfes Patented June 17, 1947 COLLAPSIBLE WHEELBAR'ROW CharlesH. Bates, Independence, Mo., assignor to Wilcox Electric 00., KansasCity, Mo., a. corporation of Missouri Application March 25, 1946, SerialNo. 656,924

1.0 Claims.

This invention relates to wheel barrows and the primary aim is toprovide such a material handling and transporting implement as may beconveniently and quickly converted to and from a completely collapsedcondition where shipping, storing and transporting thereof may be donewithout the wheel barrow occupying an objectionably large amount ofspace.

One of the most important objects of this invention is the provision ofa collapsible wheel barrow, the sections whereof are made of lightweight material, shiftably interconnected to allow manual manipulationto convert the parts of the barrow from an operative to an inoperativecondition and vice versa whenever the occasion requires, all without theemployment of any tools or implements.v

Another important object of this invention is to provide a collapsiblewheel barrow the. body whereof is formed of a number of sections ofsheet material, all articulated and sized to allow superimposing thesheets of material in substantial parallelism when the wheel barrow iscollapsed.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a wheel barrow having abody formed of a number of cooperating specially designed sectionsmounted upon framework capable of holding the sections in an operativecondition; to provide a wheel assembly mounted directly upon theframework or other parts of the wheel barrow so that the same may becollapsed to the inoperative condition without removing the wheel or anypart of the assembly; and to provide a framework formed to interlock andmaintain the entire wheel barrow in a rigid condition for ma.-nipulation and the carrying of a load when the wheel barrow is to be putinto use.

Other aims of the invention will appear during the course of thefollowing specification referring to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top perspective view of the collapsible wheel barrow made inaccordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a bottom perspective view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the wheel barrow with the componentparts thereof in a partially collapsed condition.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional view on an enlarged scale takenon line IV-IV of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed sectional view taken on lineV-V of Fig. 1; and

F 6 is a detailed sectional view taken on line VIVI, of Fig. 5.

The form of the invention chosen for illnstratic-n is capable offulfilling the objects above .set down and adequate to teach the mannerof pro.- ducing the wheel barrow in an economical way.

The body per se comprises a. pair of side walls l0 and I2, a pair of endwalls HI and t6 and a bottom l8. The bottom is sectional and the twosections thereof are hinged together along a longitudinal line at themedian point of bottom I8. This hinge 2!) permits the bottom. i8 tobreak and form a pair of superimposed sections, each substantially thesame size as side wall it. End wall I4 is hinged as at; 22 to one end ofside wall 10. hinge is so placed as to allow end wall It to swing intosuperimposed relation with side wall 1H] when the bodyof the wheelbarrow is to be collapsed. Likewise, end Wall 16 is hinged as at. 24. tothe opposite end of sidewall. 10 from hinge 22. Side wall l2 has flangesthereon for supporting the free ends of end walls l4, and t6 and thefree. edge of bottom It when the wheel barrow is in the operativeposition as clearly ilustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.. For example, wallrests against inturned. flan e 26 on side W ll 3 end wall t6 restsagainst inturned flange 28 and bottom wall it rests upon flange 30, allrig-id to side wall 12. When the wheel barrow in the operative positionand walls l4, l6 and I8 r st upon their respective flanges 26, 28 andlatches 3.2 are brought into pl y to lock the parts to ether. There isat least one latch on ea h wall Hi. Hi and I8 and all are formedubstantially the. same, as. clearly illustrated in Figs. 3, 5 and 6.Each latch is pivotally mou t d as at 34 on the respective wall to havea notch 36 engage a pin 38 rigid to the flange against which therespective wall rests when th body is in the operative position. A, holeillv through the wall clears. pin 38, all as shown in Fig, 6. Theselatch members 32 are on. the inside faces of the variou walls and may beswung to and from position without trouble when the wheel barrow is tobe manipulated from the open to the collapsed condition..

The material from which the aforesaid walls are constructed '15preferably sheet metal and it has be n found that a very ght wheel arrowmay be made when using aluminum. Aluminum tubing may also be employed inproducing the handles 42 and wheel brackets 44 one of which isassociated with each side wall I0 and t2 .resp ti ly.

The handl extends rearwardly from the body.

of the wheel barrow .and the bracket extends forwardlya distancesuflicient. to accommodate the wheel assembly broadly designated b thenumeral 45 and hereinafter to be. more fully described. The tubularmember from which each handle and bracket 42 and 44 is formed is rebentupon itself to present a U-shaped element, the upper leg whereof isembraced by a curled marginal edge of the respective wall. The lower legof the U-shaped element lies along the bottom of inturned flange 36 ofwall [2 on the one side and below an inturned flange 48 at the loweredge of wall It. This inturned flang 4B is wide enough to underlie endwalls l4 and 16 when they are in superimposed relation against wall iand the hinge 5i! carrying the bottom Wall :8 is connected directly tothis flange 48. A leg 52 depends from the lower leg of the aforesaidU-shaped element extending rearwardly from each bracket 44 and theselegs 52 are likewise formed of tubular material and attached directly tothe leg of the U-shaped element" as illustrated in Fig. 2. l

A framework of links is constructedas shown in Fig. 2. This frameworkserves to maintain the sections of the wheel barow body in a rigidextended condition and likewise presents a means for drawing the sidewalls l8 and I2 together after end walls M and I6 and bottom wall i8have been unlatched and folded against side wall ill. The frameworkcomprises a number of links 54, 56, 53 and 69 arranged in pairs andhaving pivotal connection with the rearwardly extending leg of brackets44. For example, one end of link 54 is pivotally connected as at 62 andone end of link 55 is pivotally connected as at B l. The proximal endsof these links E l and 56 are overlapped and pivotally joined by a pin65. The same form of structure is utilized in mounting links 58 and Bilbut in addition to these links 58 and $8 at the rearmost portion of thewheel barrow body there is a pair of braces 68 and 70 pivotally securedas at 12 to the respective legs.

52 and pivotally interconnected as at M by the same pin which passesthrough the overlapped inner proximal ends of links 58 and 69. This pinalso passes through bar 76 interconnecting the inner articulated ends oflinks 54 and 58 and also the similar ends of links 53 and 69. This barIt has a head 78 thereon that may be grasped by the operator to causethe two pairs of links to move to and from the extended condition. Thus,after walls 54, I6, and 18 are swung against wall Hi, manipulating thelinkage just described will draw the side portions of the wheel barrowbody toward each other, provided of course, the wheel assembly 56 isconditioned to permit such action.

r The wheel assembly 36 is a uniquely arranged construction as shown indetail in Fig. 4. Wheel 66 is mounted upon a section 82 of a shaft thatextends from one bracket 44 to another. Section 84 of the shaft of wheelassembly 46 has one end secured to one bracket 44 through the medium ofa bolt or analogous means 88 while its inner end is pivotally attachedas at B8 to the outer end of section 82 of the shaft.

pivotally interconnected ends of these shaft sections are without-sleeve90 and Where they may swing or break, as illustrated in Fig. 3. Asimilar section 98 joined to the other bracket 44 in identically thesame manner as just described with respect to section 84 presents adouble-joint (one on each side of wheel '88) and when these joints areboth free to hinge, the wheel assembly 6 will remain associated with thebrackets 44 as they are shifted toward and from each other. Thus, noparts will become lost or misplaced and since the sleeves 90 aremanually manipulable, no tools are necessary to shift the wheel barrowparts from the open to the collapsed condition.

Advantages arising from the employment of a wheel barrow made pursuantto the invention are obvious and will not only fulfill the objects aboveset forth but other requirements of wheel barrows where the same are tobe collapsed and stored in a minimum amount of space.

Such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appendedclaims may be made without departing from the spirit of the inventionand it is, therefore, realized that the above described form of theinvention is merely as an example and not confiningso far as theappended claims are concerned.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to"secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A wheel barrow 0f the kind described comprising a body formed of apair of side walls, a pair of end walls and a bottom wall; handlesextending outwardly from the side walls at one end thereof; bracketsextendin outwardly from the opposite end of the side walls; and a wheelassembly mounted on the brackets, said end walls and the said bottomwall being hinged to one of the side walls for movement intosubstantially I parallel relation therewith. said wheel assembly Asleeve 99 is slidably mounted upon shaft sections 82 and 84 and carriesa locking pin 92 on a spring 94 to enter groove '96 in shaft section 8dwhen sleeve 90 is in the position to extend over a portion of bothsections 82 and 84. This relation of the parts is clearly shown in Fig.4 and indicates that the inner articulated ends of shaft sections 82 and85 cannot move about their pivotal interconnection '88. When the wheelbarrow is to be collapsed, spring 94 is lifted to draw pin 92 out ofgroove 95 and sleeve 90 then moves along section 84 to a point where thebeing collapsible permittin movement of the side walls together afterthe end walls and thebottom wall have been swung into parallel relationwith'the one side wall.

2. A wheel barrow of the kind described comprising a body formed of apair of side walls, a pair of end walls and a bottom wall; handlesextending outwardly from the side walls at one end thereof; bracketsextending outwardly from the opposite end of the side walls; a wheelassembly mounted on the brackets, said end walls and the said bottomwall being hinged to one of the side walls for movement intosubstantially parallel relation therewith, said wheel assembly beingcollapsible permitting movement of the side walls together after the endwalls and the bottom wall have been swun into parallel relation with theone side wall; and a collapsible framework interconnecting the pair ofside walls.

3. A wheel barrow of the kind described comprising a body formed of apair of side walls, a pair of end walls and a bottom wall; handlesextendin outwardly from the side walls at one end thereof; bracketsextending outwardly from the opposite end of the side walls; a wheelassembly mounted on the brackets, said end walls and the i said bottomwall being hinged to one of the side walls for movement intosubstantially parallel relation therewith, said wheel assembly beingcollapsible permitting movement of the sidewalls together afterthe endwalls and the bottom wall have been swung'into parallel relation withthe one side wall; and a collapsible framework interconnecting the pairof side walls, said framework including a number of links and a manuallymanipulable bar disposed to receive force for shifting the side wallstoward and from each other.

l. A wheel barrow of the kinddescribed comprising a body formed of apair of side walls, a pair of end walls and a bottom wall; handlesextending outwardly from the side walls at one end thereof; bracketsextending outwardly from the opposite end of the side walls; and a wheelassembly mounted on the brackets, said end walls and the said bottomwall being hinged to one of the side walls for movement intosubstantially parallel relation therewith, said wheel assembly beingcollapsible permitting movement of the side walls together after the endwalls and the bo tom wall have been swung into parallel relation withthe one side wall, said bottom wall being a number of articulatedsections in the same plane when in the operative position and insuperimposed relation all in parallelism with the side wall when thebody is collapsed.

5. A wheel barrow of the kind described comprising a body formed of apair of side walls, a pair of end walls and a bottom wall; handlesextending outwardly from the side walls at one end thereof; bracketsextending eutwardlly from the opposite end of the side walls; and awheel assembly mounted on the brackets, said end walls and the saidbottom wall being hinged to one of the side walls for movement intosubstantially parallel relation therewith, said wheel assembly beingcollapsible permitting movement of the side walls together after the endwalls and the bottom wall have been swung into parallel relation withthe one side wall, the other side wall having a flange thereon forsupporting the end walls and the bottom wall, along the portions thereofremote from their hinge connections, and which receive the end walls andthe bottom wall when the wheel barrow is in the operative condition.

6. A wheel barrow of the kind described comprising a body formed of apair of side walls, a pair of end walls and a bottom wall; handlesextending outwardly from the side walls at One end thereof; bracketsextending outwardly from the opposite end of the side walls; and a wheelassembly mounted on the brackets, said end walls and the said bottomwall being hinged to one of the side walls for movement intosubstantially parallel relation therewith, said wheel assemblybeingcollapsible permitting movement of the side walls together afterthe end walls and the bottom wall have been swung into parallel relationwith the one side wall, said wheel assembly including a sectional shaft,means pivotally interconnecting the sections of the shaft for movementto and from an aligned condition, and structure for holding the sectionsof the shaft against pivotal movement.

*7. A wheel barrow of the kind described comprising a body formed of apair of side walls, a pair of end walls and a bottom wall; handlesextending outwardly from the side walls at one end thereof; bracketsextending outwardly from the opposite end of the side walls; a wheelassembly mounted on the brackets, said end walls and the said bottomwall being hinged to one of the side walls for movement intosubstantially parallel relation therewith, said wheel assembly beingcollapsible permitting movement of the side walls together after the endwalls and the bottom wall have been swung into parallel relation withthe one side wall; and a collapsible frame-work interconnecting the pairof side walls, said frame-work including a number of links and amanually manipulable bar disposed to receive force for shifting the sidewalls toward and from each other, said frame-work being constructed torigidly secure the side walls in spaced apart relation when the wheelbarrow is opened to the operative condition.

8. A wheel barrow of the kind described comprising a body formed of apair of side walls, a pair of end walls and a bottom wall; handlesextending outwardly from the side walls at one end thereof; bracketsextending outwardly from the opposite end of the side walls; a wheelassembly mounted on the brackets, said end walls and the said bottomwall being hinged to one of the side walls for movement intosubstantially parallel relation therewith, said wheel assembly being001- lapsible permitting movement of the side walls together after theend walls and the bottom wall have been swung into parallel relationwith the one side wall; and a collapsible frame-work interconnecting thepair of side walls, said framework including a number of links and amanually manipulable bar disposed to receive force for shifting the sidewalls toward and from each other, said frame-work being constructed torigidly secure the side walls in spaced apart relation when the wheelbarrow is opened to the operative condition, said frame-work including abrace for each leg respectively.

9. In a collapsible wheel barrow, a body formed of a number ofarticulated sections; means for holding the sections in an operativecondition; and a wheel assembly adapted to cooperate with the bodysections to permit collapsing of all parts of the wheel barrow to arelatively fiat package, as all parts thereof remain interconnected,said wheel assembly comprising a sectional shaft, 2. wheel on one Of thesections of the shaft and a manually releasable joint at each endrespectively of the shaft section having the wheel thereon forconnecting that section to the proximal ends of two sections of theshaft at each end of the section having the wheel thereon.

10. In a collapsible wheel barrow, a body y formed of a number ofarticulated sections;

means for holding the sections in an operative condition; and a wheelassembly adapted to cooperate with the body sections to permitcollapsing of all parts of the wheel barrow to a relatively flatpackage, as all parts thereof remain interconnected, said wheel assemblycomprising a sectional shaft, a wheel on one of the sections of theshaft and a manually releasable joint at each end respectively of theshaft section having the wheel thereon for connecting that section tothe proximal ends of two sections of the shaft at each end of thesection having the wheel thereon, said two sections being secured todifferent but opposed sections of the wheel barrow body.

CHARLES H. BATES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,823,816 Chittenden Sept. 15,1931 611,675 Brookmeyer Oct. 4, 1898 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date337,661 Germany June 6, 1921

